The Holy Spirit – the Comforter

A compilation of statements from the spirit of prophecy

Last updated 6th February 2017

“The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to
die, is that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging
nature to bear upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus
from their view as the Comforter, as one who reproves, who warns,
who admonishes them, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it.””
(Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 26 th August 1890, ‘The
righteousness of Christ’)

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“When God's people take the position that they are the temple of
the Holy Ghost, Christ Himself abiding within, they will so clearly
reveal Him in spirit, words, and actions, that there will be an
unmistakable distinction between them and Satan's followers.
(Ellen G. White, MS. 100, 1902, Notebook Leaflets, page 79, ‘The
church school question’)

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“As by faith we look to Jesus, our faith pierces the shadow, and we
adore God for His wondrous love in giving Jesus the Comforter.”
(Ellen G. White, MR Volume 19, No. 1405, 'Excerpts from diary
July 6th – 31st, 1892')

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“The Saviour is our comforter. This I have proved Him to be.”

(Ellen G. White, July 16th 1892, Manuscript Releases Volume
Eight No. 548, ‘How Ellen White Bore Suffering’)

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“The Lord is soon to come. We want that complete and perfect

understanding which the Lord alone can give. It is not safe to catch
the spirit from another. We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus
Christ.” (Ellen G. White, Letter 66, 1894 to E. W. Prescott, April
10t1894)

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“Christ is to be known by the blessed name of Comforter. “The

Comforter,” said Christ to His disciples, “which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in My name…” (Ellen G. White, Ms 7
1902, Typed January 28th 1902)

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“I urge our people to cease their criticism and evil speaking, and
go to God in earnest prayer, asking him to help them to help the
erring. Let them link up with one another and with Christ. Let them
study the seventeenth of John, and learn how to pray and how to
live the prayer of Christ. He is the Comforter. He will abide in their
hearts, making their joy full.” (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald,
27th 1st 1903, ‘The meaning of God’s providences’)

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“There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is

touched with the feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the
heart……. But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us
from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may
go, he is always there, one given in Christ's place, to act in his
stead. He is always at our right hand, to speak soothing, gentle
words; to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer. “(Ellen G. White,
Review and Herald, 26th October 1897, ‘Words of Comfort – No. 2)

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“We turn from the picture of our shortcomings to behold the

atonement made for us and we rejoice as we know that we may be
clothed with Christ’s righteousness. In Him all fulness dwells. He
has grace and pardon for every soul. As by faith we look to Jesus,
our faith pierces the shadow, and we adore God for His wondrous
love <in giving us Jesus the Comforter.>” (Ellen G. White, Ms 20
1892, July 26th 1892)
*The text between the symbols < > was added by Ellen White in her own handwriting to the
typewritten text after it was copied by her secretaries.

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“It is not essential for you to know and be able to define just what
the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the
Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, “the Spirit of truth,
which the Father shall send in my name.” [John 14:26.] “I will pray
the Father, and he shall send you another Comforter, that he may
abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but
ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” [John
14:16, 17.] This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ,
called the Comforter”.(Ellen G. White, letter 7 1891 to Brother
Chapman June 11th 1891)

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“In giving His commission to His followers, Christ did not tell them
they would be left alone. He assured them that He would be near
them. He spoke of His omnipresence in a special way. Go to all
nations, He said. Go, to the farthest portithon of the habitable
globe, but know that My presence will be there....The assurance of
His abiding presence was the richest legacy Christ could give His
disciples ” (Ellen G. White, Ms 138 1897, December 2 nd 1897, 'The
Gospel')

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“The best recommendation you can carry with you of this school
and its influence is a well-ordered life and a godly conversation.
Wherever you may be, maintain the principles that you have been
studying here. Wherever you go, carry on the good work of
searching the Scriptures, and the Lord Jesus will always be at your
right hand to help you. He is a merciful high priest pleading in your
behalf. He will send his representative, the Holy Spirit; for He says,
"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. By the Spirit
the Father and the Son will come and make their abode with you "
(Ellen G. White, Bible Echo 15 th January 1893, ‘The source of our
strength’)

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”The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only begotten Son of
God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect,
divine-human nature of Christ.” (Ellen G. White, Review and
Herald, 5th April 1906, ‘The Word made Flesh’)

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“None will keep the law of God unless they love Him who is the
only begotten of the Father. And none the less surely, if they love
Him, will they express their love and obedience to Him. All who
love Christ will be loved of the Father, and He will manifest Himself
to them. In all their emergencies and perplexities, they will have a
helper in Jesus Christ.

That Christ should manifest Himself to them, and yet be invisible to

the world, was a mystery to the disciples. They could not
understand the words of Christ in their spiritual sense. They were
thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take
in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them,
and yet He be unseen by the world. They did not understand the
meaning of a spiritual manifestation.” (Ellen G. White, Southern
Watchman, 13th September 1898, ‘Christ’s representatives’)

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“The Lord encourages all who seek Him with the whole heart. He
gives them His Holy Spirit, the manifestation of His presence and
favor. But those who forsake God in order to save their lives will be
forsaken by Him. In seeking to save their lives by yielding the truth,
they will lose eternal life.” (E. G. White, Testimonies Volume 9,
page 230, 1909)

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“When he should ascend to the Father, then the Comforter which

the Saviour promised to send would come. Jesus promised to
manifest himself through the Holy Spirit to every individual who
shall seek him and believe on him.” (E.G. White, Signs of the
Times, July 23, 1896, ‘Come unto me and drink’)

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”At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions,
when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we
feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the
prayer of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly
friend; but no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the
heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is
always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer.

The disciples still failed to understand Christ's words in their

spiritual sense, and again He explained His meaning. By the Spirit,
He said, He would manifest Himself to them. "The Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name,
He shall teach you all things.“ (Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages,
pages 669- 670, ‘Let not your heart be troubled’)

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“The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, which is sent to all men to
give them sufficiency, that through His grace we might be
complete in Him.” (Ellen G. White, Letter 11a 1894, to Captain
Christiansen, January 2nd 1894}

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“True faith and repose in God are always accompanied by the

illuminations of the Holy Spirit, whose temple we are. The Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, it is His representative.” (Ellen G.
White, letter 18 1895 to J. O. Corliss, September 13 th 1895)

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“Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all

hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His
own character upon His church.” (Ellen White, Desire of Ages,
page 671, ‘Let not your heart be troubled’)

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“Those who believe the truth should remember that they are God's
little children, that they are under His training. Let them be thankful
to God for His manifold mercies and be kind to one another. They
have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit -- the Spirit of
Christ -- is to bring unity into their ranks.” (Ellen G. White, Special
Testimonies, Series B No. 4 page 23, ‘The publishing work at
College View’ 1905)
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“Christ gave his followers a positive promise that after his

ascension he would send them his Spirit.” (Ellen G. White, Review
and Herald, 26th October 1897, ‘Words of comfort – No.2’)
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“While He extends to all the world His invitation to come to Him

and be saved, He commissions His angels to render divine help to
every soul that cometh to Him in repentance and contrition, and He
comes personally by His Holy Spirit into the midst of His
church.” (Ellen G. White, Letter 2d 1892, December 23rd 1892 To
the brethren at the General Conference)

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"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." The divine
Spirit that the world's Redeemer promised to send, is the presence
and power of God.” (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, 23 rd
November 1891)

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“After His ascension He was to be absent in person; but through

the Comforter He would still be with them, and they were not to
spend their time in mourning.” (Ellen G. White, ‘The Desire of
Ages’, page 277, ‘Levi – Matthew’)

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“The religion of Christ means much more than the forgiveness of

sin. It means taking away our sins, and filling the vacuum with the
Holy Spirit. It means divine illumination, rejoicing in God. It means
a heart emptied of self, and blessed with the abiding presence of
Christ.” (Ellen G. White, Bible Training School, 1 st October 1908,
‘True Worship’)

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“God calls upon His people, many of whom are but half awake, to
arouse, and engage in earnest labor, praying for strength for
service. Workers are needed. Receive the Holy Spirit, and your
efforts will be successful. Christ's presence is what gives power.”
(Ellen G. White, The Central Advance, February 25 th 1903, ‘Power
for service’)

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“The work of the holy Spirit is immeasurably great. It is from this

source that power and efficiency come to the worker for God; and
the holy Spirit is the comforter, as the personal presence of Christ
to the soul. He who looks to Christ in simple, childlike faith, is
made a partaker of the divine nature through the agency of the
holy Spirit.” (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 29 th November
1892, see also Ms 43 1901)

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“Keep cheerful. Do not forget that you have a Comforter, the Holy
Spirit, which Christ has appointed. You are never alone. If you will
listen to the voice that now speaks to you, if you will respond
without delay to the knocking at the door of your heart, "Come in,
Lord Jesus, that I may sup with Thee, and Thee with me," the
heavenly Guest will enter…. “What saith our Saviour? "I will not
leave you comfortless: I will come to you." "He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he
that loveth me shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and
will manifest myself to him." “When trials overshadow the soul,
remember the words of Christ, remember that He is as an unseen
presence in the person of the Holy Spirit, and He will be the peace
and comfort given you, manifesting to you that He is with you, the
Sun of Righteousness, chasing away your darkness.” (Ellen G.
White, Letter to Sis Wessels, March 7th 1897)

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“The disciples returned to Jerusalem rejoicing, not that they were

deprived of their Master and Teacher, for this was to them a cause
for personal mourning rather than joy. But Jesus had assured them
that he would send the Comforter, as an equivalent for his visible
presence.” (Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3 page 256,
1878)

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" The Unseen Helper.
The Lord Jesus, standing by the side of the canvassers,
walking with them, is the chief worker. The Holy Guest by their
side makes impressions in just the lines needed, if the worker
recognizes Christ as the one who is with him to prepare the way.
Thus the worker can move forward representing the sacred truth
he is handling, in the books he is finding a home for in families."
(Ellen G. White, Bible Echo, September 18th, 1899)

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“Jesus comes to you as the Spirit of truth; study the mind of the
Spirit, consult your Lord, follow His way.”(Ellen G. White, Ms 8c
1891, ‘Relationship of Institutional Workers’ July 26 th 1891)

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“Wherever you go, carry on the good work of searching the

Scriptures, and the Lord Jesus will always be at your right hand to
help you. He is a merciful high priest pleading in your behalf. He
will send his representative, the Holy Spirit; for He says, "I will not
leave you comfortless; I will come to you." By the Spirit the Father
and the Son will come and make their abode with you. There is no
excuse for wavering or sinning.” (Ellen G. White, Bible Echo,
January 15th 1893, ‘The Source of our strength’)

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“While He extends to all the world His invitation to come to Him

and be saved, He commissions His angels to render divine help to
every soul that cometh to Him in repentance and contrition, and He
comes personally by His Holy Spirit into the midst of His church.
(Ellen G. White, letter 2d 1892 to brethren of the General
Conference, December 23rd 1892)

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“The human agent, the seen instrument, is to preach the Word,

and the Lord Jesus, the unseen, agency, by His Holy Spirit is to
make the Word efficacious and powerful.” (Ellen G. White, Letter
105, 1900 to Bro and Sis S. N. Haskell, July 4th 1900)

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“How few realize that Jesus, unseen, is walking by their side! How
ashamed many would be to hear His voice speaking to them and
to know that He heard all their foolish, common talk! And how
many hearts would burn with holy joy if they only knew that the
Saviour was by their side, that the holy atmosphere of His
presence was surrounding them, and they were feeding on the
bread of life! How pleased the Saviour would be to hear His
followers talking on His precious lessons of instruction and to know
that they had a relish for holy things!” (Ellen G. White, Counsels to
Parents, teachers and Students, page 342, ‘Wordly Amusements’)

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“Today no curious multitudes flock to the desert places to see and

hear the Christ. His voice is not heard in the busy streets. No cry
sounds from the wayside, "Jesus of Nazareth passeth by." Luke
18:37. Yet this word is true today. Christ walks unseen through our
streets. With messages of mercy He comes to our homes. With all
who are seeking to minister in His name, He waits to co-operate.
He is in the midst of us, to heal and to bless, if we will receive
Him." (Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, page 107, ‘Saved
to serve)

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“The disciples rejoiced, not that they were deprived of their Master
and Teacher, for this was to them a cause for personal mourning
rather than joy; but Jesus had assured them that he would send
the Comforter, as an equivalent for his visible presence.” (Ellen G.
White, Bible Echo, 1st August 1887, ‘The Saviour Glorified’)

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“Lift up Christ in His power in the person of the Holy Spirit. He is

waiting for them to open the door and admit Him. His presence will
thrill every nerve and muscle. Every organ will begin to perform its
functions, and the whole man will be restored to spiritual
soundness as he sees Christ by faith.” (Ellen G. White, Letter 59
1899 to Bro Haskell and Sis Tenney, 29th March 1899)

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“Christ, through the operation of the Spirit, had His abiding place in
each individual soul, and grace and peace were multiplied through
the knowledge of the fact that they had a risen Saviour who made
an atonement for every one who came to Him by faith.” (Ellen G.
White, Ms 42 1895, diary, 16th January 1895)

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“Pray for the presence of Christ with you in the sickroom, for you
need His presence as the One who alone can relieve suffering
humanity. He will speak through you words inspired by the Holy
Spirit. The presence of Christ is everything to a physician.” (Ellen
G. White, letter 124 1901 to Bro and Sis Sanderson September
1901)

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“When God’s people search the Scriptures with a desire to know

what is truth, Jesus is present in the person of His representative,
the Holy Spirit, reviving the heart of the humble and contrite ones.”
(Ellen G. White, Ms 158 1898, December 7 th 1898, The Gift of the
Holy Spirit)

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“The joy of Christ was in many hearts that Sabbath afternoon.

This, you must bear in mind, was a new experience for these dear
souls lately come to the faith. We knew that the heavenly Guest
was among us. We not only had the promise, “Where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them,” but we had the assurance that Christ was behind this
promise, and that although He was unseen by natural eyes, yet by
faith we discerned the presence of our Saviour.” (Ellen G. White,
Letter 23 1899 to Sis A E Wessels, February 6, 1899)

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“The Lord Jesus standing by the side of the canvassers, walking

with them, is the chief worker. If we recognize Christ as the One
who is with us to prepare the way, the Holy Spirit by our side will
make impressions in just the lines needed.” (Ellen G. White,
Manual for Canvassers, page 40, ‘The Canvasser a gospel
worker’)
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“The revelation of Christ to John is a wonderful, dignified, exalted,

solemn message. To present this message with decided emphasis,
demands all the talents of capabilities that God has given to men.
When John received it, He was worked by the Holy Spirit, for
Christ Himself came from heaven and told him what to write.” (El-
len G. White, Ms 139, 1903, ‘The Message of Revelation’)

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"The incarnation of Christ, his divinity, his atonement, his wonderful

life in heaven as our advocate, the office of the Holy Spirit,—all
these living, vital themes of Christianity are revealed from Genesis
to Revelation." (Ellen G. White, Special Testimonies on Education,
page 235)

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“Jesus is waiting to breathe upon all his disciples, and give them
the inspiration of his sanctifying spirit, and transfuse the vital
influence from himself to his people. He would have them
understand that henceforth they cannot serve two masters. Their
lives cannot be divided. Christ is to live in his human agents, and
work through their faculties, and act through their capabilities.
Their will must be submitted to his will, they must act with his spirit,
that it may be no more they that live, but Christ that liveth in them.
Jesus is seeking to impress upon them the thought that in giving
his Holy Spirit he is giving to them the glory which the Father has
given him, that he and his people may be one in God.” (Ellen G.
White, Signs of the Times 3rd October 1892, ‘Faith brings light’)

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“Christ breathed on his disciples, and said, "Receive ye the Holy

Ghost." This is the great gift of heaven. Christ imparted to them
through the Spirit his own sanctification. He imbued them with his
power, that they might win souls to the gospel. Henceforth Christ
would live through their faculties, and speak through their words.
They were privileged to know that hereafter he and they were to be
one. They must cherish his principles and be controlled by his
Spirit. They were no longer to follow their own way, to speak their
own words. The words they spoke were to proceed from a
sanctified heart, and fall from sanctified lips. No longer were they
to live their own selfish life; Christ was to live in them and speak
through them. He would give to them the glory that he had with the
Father, that he and they might be one in God.” (Ellen G. White,
General Conference Bulletin October 1, 1899, ‘Christ our
example’)

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“And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto
them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they
are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are
retained.” The Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested; for Christ
had not yet been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the
Spirit did not take place till after Christ’s ascension. Not until this
was received could the disciples fulfill the commission to preach
the gospel to the world. But the Spirit was now given for a special
purpose. Before the disciples could fulfill their official duties in
connection with the church, Christ breathed His Spirit upon them.”
(Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages page 805, ‘Peace be unto you’)

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“There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the

Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate,
a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would
send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, "My Father, give
us Thy Spirit." Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy
Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and
peace.” (Ellen G. White, Early Writings, page 55 , ‘Experience and
views’)

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“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man
which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but
the Spirit of God.” If we are taught of God, we shall pray in
conformity to his revealed will, and in submission to his will which
we know not. We are to make supplication according to the will of
God, relying on the precious word, and believing that Christ not
only gave himself for but to his disciples. The record declares, “He
breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy
Ghost.” (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, October 3 rd 1892,
‘Faith brings light’)
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“The greatness of God is to us incomprehensible. "The Lord's

throne is in heaven" (Psalm 11:4); yet by His Spirit He is
everywhere present. He has an intimate knowledge of, and a
personal interest in, all the works of His hand.” (Ellen G. White,
Education, page 132, ‘Science and the Bible’, 1903)

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“The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state
of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten
thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy
beings, all waiting to do His will. Through these messengers He is
in active communication with every part of His dominion. By His
Spirit He is everywhere present.” (Ellen G. White, Ministry of
healing, page 417, ‘A true knowledge of God’)

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“The Spirit is freely given us of God if we will appreciate and

accept it. And what is it? -- the representative of Jesus Christ. It is
to be our constant helper. It is through the Spirit that Christ fulfills
the promise, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Ellen G.
White, Letter 38, 1896, To S. N. Haskell, May 30, 1896)

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“The office of the Holy Spirit is to control all our spiritual exercises.
The Father has given his Son for us that through the Son the Holy
Spirit might come to us, and lead us unto the Father.” (Ellen G.
White, Signs of the Times, 3rd October 1892, ‘Faith brings light’)

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“It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of
God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life
eternal.” (Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, page 388, ‘The crisis
in Galilee’)

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“In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired
His own heart. He rejoiced because of the abundant help He had
provided for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts
that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His
people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and
without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The
power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the
submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could
be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the
Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified
energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that
makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s
Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through
the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature.
Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all
hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His
own character upon His church.”(Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages’,
page 671, ‘Let not your heart be troubled’)

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The prince of the power of evil can only be held in check by the
power of God in the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.”
(Ellen G. White, Special Tesimonies for Ministers – No. 10, page
37

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“Christ determined to bestow a gift on those who had been with

Him and on those who should believe on Him, because this was
the occasion of His ascension and inauguration, a jubilee in
heaven. What gift could Christ bestow rich enough to signalize and
grace His ascension to the mediatorial throne? It must be worthy of
His greatness and His royalty. Christ gave His representative, the
third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. This gift could not be
excelled. The divine Spirit, converting, enlightening, sanctifying,
would be His donation, because He would give all gifts in one.

On the Day of Pentecost Christ gave His disciples the Holy Spirit
as their Comforter. It was ever to abide with His church.” (Ellen G.
White, Ms 44, 1898, the Pearl of Great Price’, March 29 th 1898)
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“The Lord instructed us that this was the place in which we should
locate, and we have had every reason to think that we are in the
right place. We have been brought together as a school, and we
need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as
God is a person, is walking through these grounds, unseen by
human eyes, that the Lord God is our Keeper and Helper. He
hears every word we utter and knows every thought of the mind.”
(Ellen G. White, Ms 66 1899, Talk at Avondale, March 25 th 1899)

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“The Holy Spirit always leads to the written Word. The Holy Spirit
is a person; for He beareth witness with our spirits that we are the
children of God. When this witness is borne, it carries with it its
own evidence. At such times we believe and are sure that we are
the children of God. What strong evidence of the power of truth we
can give to believers and unbelievers when we can voice the
words of John, “We have known and believed the love that God
hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in
God, and God in him.”

The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness
to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God.
He must also be a divine person, else He could not search out the
secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God. “For what man
knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man, which is in him;
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
(Ellen G. White, Ms 20 1906, Typed February 6th 1906)

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“The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to

heaven, is the Spirit in all the fulness of the Godhead, making
manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe
in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of
the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers--the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-- those who receive Christ by
living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the
obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in
Christ.” (Ellen G. White, Special Testimonies, Series B No. 7, page
63, ‘Come out and be separate’)

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“When on His resurrection day these disciples met the Saviour,

and their hearts burned within them as they listened to His words;
when they looked upon the head and hands and feet that had
been bruised for them; when, before His ascension, Jesus led
them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands in blessing,
bade them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel,"
adding, "Lo, I am with you alway" (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:20);
when on the Day of Pentecost the promised Comforter descended
and the power from on high was given and the souls of the
believers thrilled with the conscious presence of their ascended
Lord -- then, even though, like His, their pathway led through
sacrifice and martyrdom, would they have exchanged the ministry
of the gospel of His grace, with the "crown of righteousness" to be
received at His coming, for the glory of an earthly throne, which
had been the hope of their earlier discipleship? “(Ellen G. White,
Great Controversy, page 350, ‘Light Through Darkness’)

<><><>

“Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. It is the fulfilment of the covenant that God has made with
those who bind themselves up with Him, to stand with Him, with
His Son, and with His Spirit in holy fellowship. Have you been born
again? Have you become a new being in Christ Jesus? Then co-
operate with the three great powers of heaven who are working in
your behalf. Doing this you will reveal to the world the principles of
righteousness.” (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, 19 th June
1901, ‘Christ’s prayer for us’)

<><><>

“The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves to the working out of
the plan of redemption.” (Ellen G. White, Australasian Union
Conference Record, 1st April 1901, ‘An important letter’, see also
Review and Herald, 2nd May 1912, ‘Sanitariums as centers of
influence and training’)
 <><><>

“The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, in Christ’s name. He

personifies Christ, yet is a distinct personality. We may have the
Holy Spirit if we ask for it and make it [a] habit to turn to and trust
in God rather than in any finite human agent who may make
mistakes.” (Ellen G. White, Ms 93 1893, ‘Privileges and
responsibilities of Sons of God’)

<><><>

“The Holy Spirit is a free, working, independent agency. The God

of heaven uses his Spirit as it pleases him, and human minds and
human judgment and human methods can no more set boundaries
to its working, or prescribe as to the channel through which it shall
operate, than they can say to the wind, "I bid you to blow in a
certain direction, and to conduct yourself in such and such a
manner.

Though we cannot see the Spirit of God, we know that men who
have been dead in trespasses and sins, become convicted and
converted under its operations.” (Ellen G. White, Review and
Herald. 5th May 1896 ‘Operation of the Holy Spirit made manifest
in the life’)

<><><>

“To the poor and oppressed and downtrodden of earth, Christ

says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, even the Spirit of
truth, (which is Christ formed within the hope of glory,) whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not: but ye know him,
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you
comfortless.” (Ellen G. White, Ms 24 1898, February 22nd 1898)

<><><>

“Jesus is waiting to breathe upon all his disciples, and give them
the inspiration of his sanctifying spirit, and transfuse the vital
influence from himself to his people. He would have them
understand that henceforth they cannot serve two masters. Their
lives cannot be divided. Christ is to live in his human agents, and
work through their faculties, and act through their capabilities.
Their will must be submitted to his will, they must act with his spirit,
that it may be no more they that live, but Christ that liveth in them.
Jesus is seeking to impress upon them the thought that in giving
his Holy Spirit he is giving to them the glory which the Father has
given him, that he and his people may be one in God.” (Ellen G.
White, Signs of the Times 3rd October 1892, ‘Faith brings light’)

<><><>

“It is not essential for us to be able to define just what the Holy
Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Spirit is the Comforter, "the Spirit of
truth, which proceedeth from the Father." It is plainly declared
regarding the Holy Spirit that, in His work of guiding men into all
truth, "He shall not speak of Himself." John 15:26; 16:13. 52

The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it,
because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful
views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human
construction on them, but the acceptance of these views will not
strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too
deep for human understanding, silence is golden.” (Ellen G. White,
Acts of the Apostles, pages 51-52, ‘The Gift of the Holy Spirit’)

<><><>

“The Lord gives to His workers talents which, sanctified by His

Holy Spirit, will place them on vantage ground. None are at any
time to yield to the temptation to draw about them a cloak of self-
righteousness, so that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God, shall
not be able, through the grace of Christ Jesus, to enter their
hearts, softening them, and making them loving and
compassionate in disposition. My brethren, let your hearts be
humble and contrite. Thus through an abiding Christ you will
become Christlike in character.” (Ellen G. White, Pacific Union
Recorder, 26th July 1906, ‘Words to Burden- Bearers’)

<><><>

“Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his

church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his
place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the
efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit
Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away
sin.” (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 19th May 1904, ‘The
Promise of the Spirit’)

<><><>

“Christ's triumphant ascension to heaven was the signal that His

followers were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were
to wait before they entered upon their work without the visible
presence of their beloved Teacher. While He was yet with them,
He commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but
wait for the promise of the Father, "which, saith He, ye have heard
of Me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized
with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

When Christ entered within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned,

amid the songs of millions of angels. As soon as this ceremony
was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon His followers in
rich currents according to Christ's promise, and they were no more
orphans. How quickly Christ fulfilled His promise, and sent from
the heavenly courts the guarantee of His love! After His
inauguration, the Spirit came and Christ was indeed glorified, even
with the glory which He had from all eternity with the Father.
During His humiliation upon this earth, the Spirit had not
descended with all its efficacy; and Christ declared that if He went
not away, it would not come, but that if He went away, He would
send it. It was a representation of Himself, and after He was
glorified it was manifest.” (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, 17 th
1899, ‘The Promise of the Spirit’)

<><><>

“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place

personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He
should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be
His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself, divested of the
personality of humanity, and independent thereof. He would
represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the
Omnipresent.” (Ellen G. White, Letter 119 1896 to James Edson
White and Emma White, February 18th 1895)

<><><>
“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place
personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He
should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be
His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself, divested of the
personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Christ would
represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit,—as
the Omnipresent. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in My name, He shall [although unseen
by you] teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. . . . Nevertheless,
I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go
not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I
will send Him unto you.” (Ellen G. White, British Present truth, May
30th 1895 'The Eternal Prsence’)

<><><>

“The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of the

personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with
humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore
it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send
the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have
any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with
Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this
sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on
high.

"He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him,
and will manifest Myself to him." Jesus read the future of His
disciples. He saw one brought to the scaffold, one to the cross,
one to exile among the lonely rocks of the sea, others to
persecution and death. He encouraged them with the promise that
in every trial He would be with them. That promise has lost none of
its force. The Lord knows all about His faithful servants who for His
sake are lying in prison or who are banished to lonely islands. He
comforts them with His own presence. When for the truth's sake
the believer stands at the bar of unrighteous tribunals, Christ
stands by his side. All the reproaches that fall upon him, fall upon
Christ. Christ is condemned over again in the person of His
disciple. When one is incarcerated in prison walls, Christ ravishes
the heart with His love. When one suffers death for His sake,
Christ says, "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am
alive forevermore, . . . and have the keys of hell and of death."
Rev. 1:18. The life that is sacrificed for Me is preserved unto
eternal glory.

At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions,
when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we
feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the
prayer of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly
friend; but no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the
heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is
always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer.

The disciples still failed to understand Christ's words in their

spiritual sense, and again He explained His meaning. By the Spirit,
He said, He would manifest Himself to them. (Ellen G. White,
Desire of Ages, page 669-670, ‘Let not your heart be troubled’)

<><><>

“When the Lord told Peter what to do, he turned and asked, "Lord,
what shall this man do?" The Lord answered, "What is that to
thee? follow thou me." How many are like Peter to-day? They are
interested in the affairs of others, but they neglect their own duty. It
is our business to follow Christ and then we can counsel others.
What we want is individual religion, personal piety. We want the
Holy Spirit of Christ in our families.” (Ellen G. White, Review and
Herald, 16th April 1899, ‘Christ should be our counsellor’)

<><><>

“All who consecrate body, soul, and spirit to God's service will be
constantly receiving a new endowment of physical, mental, and
spiritual power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their
command. Christ gives them the breath of His own spirit, the life of
His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work
in heart and mind.” (Ellen G. White, Testimonies Volume 6, page
306, ‘Medical missionary work’)

<><><>

“The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We
do not now see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just
as near us in one place as another. It works in and through every
one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the
Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit,-"love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith." (Ellen G. White, The Bible Echo, 17 th
June 1901, ‘Words of comfort)

<><><>

“Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his

church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his
place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the
efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit
Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away
sin.” (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 19 th May 1904, ‘The
promise of the Spirit’)

<><><>

“All professions of Christianity are but lifeless expressions of faith

until Jesus imbues the believer with his spiritual life, which is the
Holy Ghost.” (Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy, Volume 3, page
242, ‘Meeting of the brethren’, 1878)

<><><>

Christ the Spirit of God in the Old Testament (1

Peter 1:10-11)
In all these [Old Testament] revelations of the divine presence the
glory of God was manifested through Christ. Not alone at the
Saviour’s advent, but through all the ages after the Fall and the
promise of redemption, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. Christ was the foundation and
center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the
Jewish age. Since the sin of our first parents there has been no
direct communication between God and man. The Father has
given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His
mediatorial work He may redeem man and vindicate the authority
and holiness of the law of God. All the communion between
heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son
of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It
was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. Adam, Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses understood the gospel. They
looked for salvation through man’s Substitute and Surety. These
holy men of old held communion with the Saviour who was to
come to our world in human flesh; and some of them talked with
Christ and heavenly angels face to face.

Christ was not only the leader of the Hebrews in the wilderness—
the Angel in whom was the name of Jehovah, and who, veiled in
the cloudy pillar, went before the host—but it was He who gave the
law to Israel. [See Appendix, Note 7.] Amid the awful glory of Sinai,
Christ declared in the hearing of all the people the ten precepts of
His Father’s law. It was He who gave to Moses the law engraved
upon the tables of stone.

It was Christ that spoke to His people through the prophets. The
apostle Peter, writing to the Christian church, says that the
prophets “prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which
was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings
of Christ and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:10, 11. It is the
voice of Christ that speaks to us through the Old Testament. “The
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10.”
(Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 366, ‘The Law and
the Covenants’)

<><><>

“The Saviour had spoken through all the prophets. “The Spirit of
Christ which was in them” “testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:11.” (Ellen G.
White, Desire of Ages, page 234, ‘The Kingdom of God is at
hand”)

<><><>

“Let us see to it that we study the words of Christ in both the Old
and the New Testaments, and take heed that we be not agents
who shall work to make of no effect the word of God by exalting
the traditions and opinions of men.” (Ellen G. White, Signs of the
Times April 2nd 1896, ’Heart piety essential’)

<><><>
"It was the Spirit of Christ that spoke through Enoch; that Spirit
manifested, not alone in utterances of love, compassion, and
entreaty; it is not smooth things only that are spoken by holy men.
God puts into the heart and lips of His messengers truths to utter
that are keen and cutting as a two-edged sword." (Ellen G. White,
Patriarchs and Prophets page 86, ‘Seth and Enoch’)

<><><>

Email:- terry_sda@blueyonder.co.uk

Website: - http://theprophetstillspeaks.co.uk